By Abdul Shariff Aboo Kassim The Good News The Budget 2018 that Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat delivered on 19th February 2018 started off on a positive note. At 3.6%, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fared better than the 1% to 3% that the government forecasted....

By Abdul Shariff Aboo Kassim Singapore’s changing economic and demographic landscapes are contributing to the complexity of Singaporeans’ social needs. The city-state’s economic transformation – from one that is dependent on foreign direct investment and capital and...

By Abdul Shariff Aboo Kassim While 2017 has been a relatively “good year” for Singapore in economic terms, there were concerns expressed over some emerging issues. It is hoped that Singapore Budget 2018 will address these issues as Singaporeans strive to secure a more...

By Abdul Shariff Aboo Kassim The Smart Nation initiative was officially launched on 24th November 2014. In his speech then, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong spoke of Singapore’s vision to be an outstanding city, capable of attracting capital, talent and ideas; and...

By Abdul Shariff Aboo Kassim While the Malay community has made significant socioeconomic progress over the last three decades, it continues to grapple with the problem of overrepresentation in the lower rungs of the socioeconomic ladder. At stake is its social...

By Abdul Shariff Aboo Kassim The Budget 2017 statement delivered by Minister for Finance, Mr Heng Swee Keat, on 20 February 2017, came shortly after the Committee on the Future Economy (CFE) made its recommendations on the policies that the government could pursue to...

By Abdul Shariff Aboo Kassim In its report to the Prime Minister on 7 February 2017, the Committee on the Future Economy (CFE) noted that Singapore is making “good progress” by nurturing highly-skilled people and an innovative economy for a “distinctive global city”....